India, Dec. 3 -- Ears up for major news from the global gastronomy circuit: Chef Vijay Kumar, the kitchen wizard behind Semma in New York, was awarded La Liste Talent of the Year. La Liste is a prestigious global restaurant ranking system based in France that recognises chefs and restaurants across the world, making this win for Chef Vijay, especially special as he is now among the few indians who have won this title.

He began life in a small village in Tamil Nadu called Natham, learning how to cook beside his mother and grandmother. Chef Vijay Kumar's cuisine doesn't pander to Western expectations. At Semma, dishes like nathai pirattal (snail curry), foxtail-millet khichdi, and fiery Chettinad curries are served as they would be back in...